Technical Field
The invention relates to customer identification and linkage across and between channels, contact methods, and devices used by the customer. More particularly, the invention relates to multi-channel customer identification which links journeys for the same customer, while making the customer experience intuitive.
Description of the Background Art
Broadly defined, an identification number is a numeral or string of numerals that is used for identification. Thus, there is, for example, a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), which is an identification number used by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the administration of tax laws. It is issued either by the Social Security Administration (SSA) or by the IRS. A Social Security number (SSN) is issued by the SSA, whereas all other TINs are issued by the IRS.
Taxpayer Identification Numbers include a, Social Security Number (SSN), Employer Identification Number (EIN), Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) Taxpayer Identification Number for Pending U.S. Adoptions (ATIN), and Preparer Taxpayer Identification Number (PTIN).
Then there is the personal identification number (PIN), which is a secret numeric password shared between a user and a system that can be used to authenticate the user to the system. Typically, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token, i.e. the user ID, and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system. Upon receiving the user ID and PIN, the system looks up the PIN, based upon the user ID, and compares the looked-up PIN with the received PIN. The user is granted access only when the number entered matches with the number stored in the system. Hence, despite the name, a PIN does not personally identify the user.
There is also a Collegewide ID (CWID), which is a college-wide identification number (8 digits) that can be used in place of a Social Security number; California ID numbers the issued to generators, transporters, and disposal facilities not regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) for the purpose of tracking hazardous waste; a vehicle identification number, which could be the motor number, serial number, or other distinguishing number, letter, mark, character, or datum, or any combination thereof, required or employed by the manufacturer or a state vehicle department for the purpose of uniquely identifying a motor vehicle or motor vehicle part or for the purpose of registration; and so on ad infinitum.
People are awash in identification numbers and the like, each service and each channel of communication requiring a different identification number and each service and each channel of communication having no knowledge of a user's other identification numbers in other services and for other communications channels. While, it is important to maintain security, especially with the widespread use of, and fraud attendant with, the Internet, identification numbers currently are one-dimensional, and are provided for single purpose, for all except a very narrow use. For example, personal factors and contextual use of various communications channels can affect the security requirements for authenticating a particular person for a particular purpose, but most current identification regimes make no attempt to cross channels and/or services.
While, to a certain extent Facebook® ID and others provide a single representation of identity, such approach does not establish a linkage across and between channels, contact methods, and devices for an individual, but merely establishes identity across multiple domains. For example, an individual may try to solve a specific issue with a services firm. As a follow up, the individual may contact the firm via same channel or another channel to check on the status of the issue. Currently, the individual must be authenticated for each contact and provide a request number that was received during a previous interaction to identify a specific transaction so that current status can be provided.
In the art, all of the associated interaction data is collected via appropriate means, but it is not available across and between channels, contact methods, and devices. Thus, the same customer might be interacting with others, including the customer's friends and/or peers, via other non-customer channels, such as posting social media sites, blogs, instant messaging email, etc. regarding their experiences with the firm. In certain cases, when the customer provides specific access rights, or the information is publicly available, it is possible to collect the associated data, such as likes, posts, comments, updates, connections, interests etc. via appropriate methods.
It would be advantageous to provide improved flexibility and increased options in connection with user identification during user interaction with various systems over various channels in connection with various devices. It would also be advantageous to reduce customer effort in creating and using such identification.